Steering a sailboat

Now we will consider the main rules of maneuvering a yacht, which apply to all sailing vessels.
With the help of a helm, steering of the vessel is ensured. By the helm, a course of a yacht can be changed. It is extremely important to master the maneuvering in such a way that you feel what actions should be taken in order to maintain or change the course. It should be remembered that any deviation of the rudder will cause additional resistance, which is bad for the speed of yacht.

Duties under sail

It is the duty of a helmsman to steer a yacht in accordance with the prescribed course and to ensure that the rudder does not yaw and does not deviate.

A helmsman must ensure the smoothest change of the course. Exception can be considered only the risk of collision.

A helmsman should monitor the consistency of the steering movements and the yacht’s aspirations.

Each of these skills can be acquired only in real conditions. Everything must be brought to such a level that everything is done intuitively.

The sail must be designed so that it can provide the maximum possible speed in the concrete conditions and reduce the drift and heel angles. To do this, the master of the ship needs to know the following points:

When the wind is really strong, it’s best to use a flat sail. A sail with a large belly will impair handling and speed. When the wind is weak, the “pot-bellied” sail works better than flat under the same conditions. The force of gusts directly affects the plane of the sail.

To ensure high-quality controll of sails, it is necessary to select the right scoops.
Do not force a sail if it, installed in accordance with weather conditions, will allow you to float calmly, the course of the vessel will be the best, and the drift is minimal.

To determine in which direction the wind is blowing, you can use a windex, a pennant, a thread on the guy, a sorcerer, smoke.

The helmsman must always keep an eye on the front sails. All sails must be well trimmed. After the sails are adjusted, it is necessary to control a changes depending on the direction of the wind. Any deviation should be immediately fixed, and the sails immediately adjusted in accordance with the direction of the wind.

The maneuvering of a sailing yacht is a fairly complex process. To delve into all its subtleties, it is better to go on a cruise several times as an assistant to the captain and already in practice to learn all the subtleties of this difficult matter. You can perfectly know the theory, but without practical skills you can not manage even the smallest yacht. Today, a lot of yacht clubs offer the opportunity to learn sailing. You need only motivation and free time.